A Simple Way to Get Your GTD On

You've read about GTD. You've followed David Allen on Twitter. You know someone who knows someone who has been to a seminar. So what the heck is GTD anyway?

GTD stands for Getting Things Done and was created by David Allen, a California-based consultant who pioneered a new way of looking at productivity. His approach starts from "the bottom up", meaning that vision and goals are great but without a clean, working system for daily stuff, they fall flat. A GTD practitioner puts a lot of emphasis on managing email, filing with speed, and staying up to date on a projects list. Once a person has those items under control, the mind is freed up to "upthink" about goals and purpose and vision. Bottom line: GTD works.

THE TWO MINUTE RULE

A simple GTD principle is to deal with it when it shows up rather than when it blows up. My neighbor and I were talking the other day. I mentioned that I planned on taking some old chemicals to a recycling plant near my new place of work. I then invited him to "donate" to my collection so that we could combine our efforts. He thought about it, then scratched his head, then decided to get his driveway tar before he forgot. I waited and he returned a minute later, tub of black goo in hand. We struck while the iron was hot and I immediately thought of GTD.

Productivity doesn't just apply to a workplace office. Sometimes it shows up in your garage standing next to a neighbor.

Question: When was the last time you felt truly productive? What were you doing?